Preview: Feyenoord vs. AZ Alkmaar - prediction, team news, lineups

Feyenoord could end gameweek eight at the top of the Eredivisie table if they beat league-leading AZ Alkmaar in Saturday's mouthwatering tussle.

Unbeaten AZ entered the international break in first place after PSV Eindhoven surrendered a 2-1 lead in a 3-2 defeat at FC Twente, and the Cheese Farmers find themselves in the driving seat ahead of a trip to De Kuip, where they are winless in six visits.

Match preview

After a string of frustrating stalemates at De Kuip, Giovanni van Bronckhorst finally secured his first home win since returning to the Rotterdam outfit for a second spell before the break, as De Stadionclub produced a five-star performance to annihilate FC Utrecht 5-0.

That success was just what the doctor ordered for the former Netherlands international, whose team had played out a pair of 2-2 draws against Go Ahead Eagles and ADO Den Haag to start the season, as they relied on a 100% away record to stay close to then-leaders PSV before Peter Bosz's side suffered a shock defeat at Twente.

Having netted five in a 5-2 success at Cambuur, three in a 3-1 victory and seven in a 7-0 hammering of PEC Zwolle, it was gratifying to see Van Bronckhorst's team reproduce some of their impressive away form on home soil.

The events preceding the three-week break thus leave Feyenoord just two points behind the side they host in gameweek eight, with maximum points in consecutive home games guaranteed to see them end the round atop the table.

That outcome will be expected by the Rotterdam club's supporters, especially considering the precedent in this fixture.

AZ have seldom enjoyed any success against Feyenoord, with the last 10 meetings seeing the Stadium Club record seven wins and the Alkmaar side claim just one victory.

Trips to De Kuip have historically gone awry for De Kaasboeren, whose wins in September 2019 and January 2021 ended a nine-match run without success in Rotterdam, where seven of those visits ended in defeat.

Those back-to-back wins proved anomalous, as five of their next six visits in all competitions went Feyenoord's way, before the Cheese Farmers halted that sequence by securing a 1-1 draw on the penultimate matchday of the 2025-26 season in May.

Hoping that their current status as league leaders at least gives them the aura of a side that belongs in title contention, AZ head to Rotterdam knowing that they will remain at the summit by avoiding defeat against the free-scoring hosts.

Whether they will secure that point against a side they hate facing, however, remains to be seen.

Feyenoord Eredivisie form:

Feyenoord form (all competitions):

AZ Alkmaar Eredivisie form:

AZ Alkmaar form (all competitions):

Team News

While Goncalo Borges is carrying a knock, Feyenoord are without the injured Bart Nieuwkoop (knee), Gijs Smal (ankle), Jakub Moder (knee), Thomas Beelen (broken leg), Tsuyoshi Watanabe (leg) and Jordan Bos (knee).

After a slow start to the season, Anis Hadj Moussa scored five goals in three league appearances before the international break, and the Algeria international will aim to pick up where he left off before the hiatus.

Aside from Moussa, the home side possess a cadre of match-winners, not least freshly minted Dutch international Gjivai Zechiel — who has scored five goals and provided four assists in the Eredivisie this term — while Luciano Valente and summer arrival Nacho Ferri have demonstrated their game-deciding qualities by scoring four league goals apiece.

AZ's Ro-Zangelo Daal matches Valente and Ferri with four goals, while Mexx Meerdink has netted three times for the league leaders after seven rounds.

Although Peer Koopmeiners seldom scores or assists, the midfielder can control a game with his all-action qualities in and out of possession; he has completed 351 passes in the opposition half and successfully found a teammate with 232 passes into the final third, and he has recovered possession 40 times.

Stije Resink is AZ's only reported absentee, with the midfielder sidelined by a knee injury that is likely to keep him out until November or December.

Feyenoord possible starting lineup:

Ernst; Read, Marmol, St Juste, Lopez; Zechiel, Vanhoutte, Targhalline; Hadj Moussa, Ferri, Valente

AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:

De Busser; Dijkstra, Goes, Schouten, Chavez; Kwakman, Koopmeiners; Oufkir, Byskov, Daal; Meerdink

We say: Feyenoord 3-1 AZ Alkmaar

AZ's position at the summit suggests that Feyenoord will not have everything their own way, but the Rotterdam giants' formidable attacking options should eventually overwhelm the visitors, who have not lost in 13 league matches.

With Van Bronckhorst's men rediscovering their rhythm at De Kuip and dominating this fixture in recent years, we expect the hosts to secure a statement victory.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.